Wildfire Level 3 Alert Issued
115 Nearby Residents Evacuated
A fire broke out on a mountain in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam Province. Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government
The wildfire that broke out at 3:25 p.m. on the 21st in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong-gun, Gyeongnam, has been ongoing for more than nine hours.
According to Gyeongnam Province, the Gyeongnam Fire Department, and the Korea Forest Service, 115 residents of Jeomdong and Gukdong villages were urgently evacuated to nearby community centers and the Seonbi Culture Research Institute due to the fire.
A total of 931 personnel from special, professional, and aerial firefighting teams, as well as 20 helicopters, 26 fire suppression vehicles, and 53 fire trucks?119 pieces of equipment in total?have been deployed to contain the blaze.
As of 11 p.m., an east wind of 0.6 meters per second was blowing at the site, with the wildfire affecting an estimated area of 130 hectares and a fire line of 9.5 kilometers.
As the Korea Forest Service expected the wildfire to affect more than 100 hectares, it issued a Level 3 wildfire alert at around 6:40 p.m.
Governor Park Wansu, who took over command, is currently directing operations from the integrated wildfire command center set up at the Sancheong Pumped Storage Power Plant. He is working in close cooperation with the Korea Forest Service, the National Fire Agency, the military, and the police to mount an all-out response.
Park Wansu, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, is giving instructions on nighttime firefighting operations at the integrated command center of the wildfire site in Sicheon-myeon, Sancheong County. Provided by Gyeongnam Provincial Government
Governor Park stated, "Protecting the lives and property of residents is our top priority," and instructed, "Mobilize all available resources to respond swiftly, above all to prevent any casualties."
Gyeongnam Province, forestry, and fire authorities are establishing firebreaks to protect homes and key facilities while containing the wildfire, and plan to maintain firefighting personnel overnight to minimize damage.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
